A Weekly Event

90 Minute Bread: 400 Degrees F - Bake 30-40 min. Makes about 9 loaves.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups warm water
• 8 TBL yeast
• 9 cups whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cups molasses (or sugar)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• 8-9 cups white flour

I am quite certain that my mother made homemade bread before we moved to Indiana, however, my earliest memory of the bread comes from the years we lived there. Along with the normal Saturday chores of laundry, cleaning our rooms, and working in the garden, I helped my mother in the kitchen, baking loaves of whole wheat bread. My mother would make enough bread to last the week. I loved the smell of the freshly ground wheat and the molasses and the warm aroma radiating from the oven. In the beginning, I was "the assistant", learning how to measure, mix and blend the ingredients. As the instruction was verbal, I memorized the recipe, later writing it down. This recipe is one of the first that was placed in my very first recipe box.

As the years passed I became quite the baker, falling in love with the process. When I had a place of my own, my mother gave me her wheat grinder and a bag of wheat so that I could continue the weekly tradition. I am not sure why it was called 90-minute bread, because the process takes a little longer than that. The original directions were to "Knead, divide in 4. Rest 15 min. Knead - Bake." Since that time, I have enhanced the instructions and have provided them below. If you haven't figured it out by now, this recipe makes a lot of bread - at least one long loaf for each day of the week.

During the summer, bread-making was a treat for the entire family. As the freshly baked bread came out of the oven, my brothers and sisters would straggle into the kitchen, having followed the aroma down the hall from their rooms. My mother would cut one-inch slices from the first loaf, adding butter that quickly melted, seeping deep into the pores. Honey, cinnamon sugar, and preserves would be spread out on the dining room table. Each sibling chose their favorite topping, quickly devouring the first slice.

Often, there was dough left over, which would be separated into small balls, stretched, and fried. The fry bread was topped with powder sugar, cinnamon sugar, or preserves. Once the fry bread was distributed, everyone was sent outside to eat the bread because it was so messy. The fry bread became a summer Saturday morning tradition.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and a little sugar to dissolve. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. The mixture should be big and bubbly.
2. Mix in the oil, molasses, and salt. Stir in the whole wheat flour. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and gradually knead in the white flour. Knead until the dough starts to pull away from the work surface, adding more flour if necessary; the dough should be a bit tacky to the touch.
3. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Grease loaf pans - whatever size you like (9x5-inch is standard). Punch down the dough, and divide it. Place in the prepared loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch, another 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Bake the risen loaves in the preheated oven until golden brown for 30 - 40 minutes, do not overbake.
7. Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter when done to prevent the crust from getting hard. Cool completely before covering for storage.

Thirty years later, I can still smell the whole wheat and the molasses. I can hear my brothers and sisters laughing and joking around. I can feel the warmth and comfort of the kitchen. I can see my mother's tender smile. And most of all, I can feel the smooth, elastic dough in my hands.